Events
The Many Hats Cup: Polo for Kids
Thank you to everyone who attended!
We hope you, your family, and all of your friends enjoyed the Many Hats Cup Polo for Kids Sunset Match & Tailgate put on by MHI in partnership with The District Cup and hosted by Summerhill Polo Club on July 15, 2023! Scroll down to the event’s pull-down page to see some of the magnificent photos!
And make sure to get your tickets to The District Cup Polo on the National Mall. Proceeds of money raised through ticket sales and sponsorships go to charity!
The District Cup Polo
on The National Mall Event
The Many Hats Institute is proud to join The District Cup in supporting local Washington, D.C. area charities through this year’s polo match taking place on September 30, 2023 on the polo field at West Potomac Park on the National Mall.
The District Cup’s annual polo match brings together players from around the world in a sport that celebrates the special relationship between humans and horses. The proceeds of money raised through ticket sales and sponsorships go to charity.
MHI Supporting Two of The District Cup’s Special Charities
The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp
Founded by Paul Newman, it gives every child and family facing a serious medical condition the opportunity to experience the unique healing power of camp. It serves over 20,000 seriously ill children and their family members every year. MHI is helping raise funds for the Hole in the Wall Gang’s new Maryland camp, opening in 2024. This camp will be a centrally-located site for Mid-Atlantic families most impacted by serious illness, including those in the rare disease community.
The Jamaur Law Foundation
The foundation educates and teaches people about the power of financial literacy so they can remove the obstacles and barriers that hold them back from achieving a secure financial future. It addresses the spiritual, psychological, emotional, and technical aspects of personal finances. It promotes and provides financial literacy education to children, teens, and adults using proprietary, character-based financial literacy curriculum.
Past Events, Projects, and Initiatives
The Many Hats Institute believes that children and youth around the world deserve the opportunity to experience joy, growth, and success, and we strive to make that a reality by supporting a variety of events and projects throughout the year. We are passionate about investing in the next generation, and we invite you to join us in making a meaningful difference in the lives of young people.
INITIATIVES
Reach Your Peak
Reach Your Peak is a joint initiative between MHI’s founder Fabian Koss and MHI Hatter Michael Davis. Focusing on the ages 12-18, it provides youth the training and tools to achieve their goals through activities related to goal-setting, education, fundraising, and volunteer service.
Reach Your Peak created the D.R.E.A.M. curriculum and planning guide, comprised of 5 steps and 10 lessons and sample projects, which lay out a road map for youth to become valuable members of their local communities.
Reach Your Peak is proud to have worked with RYP ambassador Michael Walton, founder of the Michael Walton Foundation. Michael is a world-class, former professional track and field sprinter with a passion for guiding young lives and supporting community activism. Through his foundation, he has had a profound impact on young people by creating opportunities that educate and inspire them. Through the RYP curriculum and his own story, MHI helped Michael raise awareness in D.C. schools about what it takes to achieve personal greatness.
Get a copy of Reach Your Peak’s D.R.E.A.M curriculum here.
Many Hats Art Circle
In 2003, MHI Creative Director Sueraya Shaheen created the Art Circle for the Many Hats, composed of respected members of the international art community.
Members include:
- Laura & David Adamson, Adamson Editions
- Mario Cader-Frech, collector/painter
- Perez Cellis, painter
- Paul Emerson, founder of Studio E Dance Company
- Timmy Baheri, painter
- Sarah Finley and Patrick Murica, Fusebox Gallery
- Gabriel Goni, Artistic Director of Youth Orchestra of the Americas
- Carlotta Hester and Chris Murray, Govinda Gallery
- Dani Levinas, collector
- Mario Pascual Esclattier, painter
- Thomas Pheasant, Thomas Pheasant Interiors
- Domingo Zapata, painter
- Oved Sopher, Dove Gallery
- Zhivago Duncan, painter
Team 21
The Mario St. George Boiardi Foundation joined with Team 21 and the Many Hats Initiative to raise funds for the Ithica Family Reading Partnership.
The foundation was created in honor of Cornell University Lacrosse player and captain George Boiardi (jersey #21), who tragically died on March 17, 2004 at the age of 22 while competing in a game on Cornell’s Schoellkopf Field.
George was known for his hard work, loyalty, selflessness, compassion, and pursuit of excellence. As a testimony to the impact he had during his short life, the George Boiardi Memorial Corporation was founded to help future generations give back to their communities.
Jai Youth Yoga
MHI members developed a health and fitness program focused on bringing the many benefits of sport, athletics, and nutrition to disaffected and underprivileged youth in the Washington D.C. metropolitan region. The first initiative for the program is JAI Youth Yoga.
Jai is Sanskrit for victory (pronounced “Ja-I).” The victory of one’s own unique spirit. It is empowerment of one’s own spirit that makes them victorious and it is this empowerment that Jai Youth Yoga aims to impart.
Each yoga pose that JAI Youth Yoga teaches serves as a “bridge” to connect a student to the world around them — to nature, their own body, mind, and spirit. Jai Youth Yoga will help them understand and become aware of what their bodies are telling them and what their bodies need.
Jai Youth Yoga aims to empower youth by understanding, respecting, and honoring their own bodies and minds as well as those around them.
2023
The Many Hats Cup 2023
July 15, 2023. MHI partnered with The District Cup and Summerhill Polo to put on the Many Hats Cup. All photos are courtesy of photojournalist Tom Brenner.
The District Cup is an annual polo cup on the National Mall that attracts people from all over the Washington DC area and beyond.
Summerhill Polo, owned and operated by 6-goal player Charlie Muldoon, attracts many high-goal and international players from numerous countries. It has a long and storied relationship with MHI. The two have organized numerous “Polo For Kids” fundraisers over the years that have helped children all over the world.
2021
MHI Polo for Kids 2021
September 25, 2021. MHI partnered with Summerhill Polo on the Many Hats Polo Invitational.
Summerhill Polo, owned and operated by 6-goal player Charlie Muldoon, attracts many high-goal and international players from countries such as Argentina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, England, and Mexico. It has a long and storied relationship with MHI. The two have organized numerous “Polo For Kids” fundraisers over the years that have helped children all over the world.
Summerhill is a popular polo club which several “Hatters,” including MHI founder Fabian Koss, have been enjoying for years.
2018
Argentine Heritage Polo 2018
July 14, 2018. The Many Hats Institute, the Embassy of Argentina, and Asociación Argentina de Polo together present the inaugural Argentine Heritage Polo Tournament, helping bring Argentine culture and polo to the D.C. metro area.
Honorary Co-Chairs of the tournament, held at Summerhill Polo, were the Ambassador of Argentina, Fernando Oris de Roa, and Academy and Golden Globe-winning actor, filmmaker, and polo enthusiast, Robert Duvall.
All proceeds benefitted Hospital Garrahan, a free, public pediatric hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
2017
MHI Polo for Kids 2017
June 10, 2017. MHI partnered with Summerhill Polo on the Many Hats Polo Invitational benefiting Company E. All proceeds of the event went to Company E, a contemporary dance company committed to fostering international collaboration through the exchange of the arts.
Summerhill Polo, owned and operated by 6-goal player Charlie Muldoon, attracts many high-goal and international players from countries such as Argentina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, England, and Mexico.
It has a long and storied relationship with MHI. The two have organized numerous “Polo For Kids” fundraisers over the years that have helped children all over the world.
Summerhill is a popular polo club which several “Hatters,” including MHI founder Fabian Koss, have been enjoying for years.
2013
White House Easter Egg Roll 2013
April 1, 2013. The Many Hats Institute partnered with First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative aimed at helping put children on the path to a healthy future. MHI received a special invitation to attend the 2013 White House Easter Egg Roll in recognition of MHI’s commitment to positive youth development.
River Koss, daughter of MHI founder Fabian Koss, attended the easter Egg Roll and got to meet two members of the U.S. Olympic Volleyball Team.
Sports 4 Inspiration 2013
December 3, 2013. The Many Hats Institute organized an event for Sports 4 Inspiration to benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington.
2012
Details and Versace 2012
March 8, 2012. A cocktail shopping event featuring the Spring/Summer 2012 Versace Collection took place at Tysons Gallery, with a portion of the sales donated to the The Many Hats Institute.
2010
love.fútbol 2010
On January 19, 2010, love.fútbol inaugurated its 6th project in Xejuyu, La Cuchilla, Guatemala – an indigenous community where Kaqchikel is the locally spoken language. The soccer field sits beside the local public primary school and immediately serves over 200 local youth. Community leaders estimate that upwards of 30 surrounding schools and communities will also be beneficiaries of the project during the tournaments they plan to hold each year.
Since 2007, love.fútbol, an initiative of Play 4 Development, has worked with six communities in Guatemala to construct sustainable soccer fields that today serve thousands of children.
The project in Xejuyu is a testament to how love.fútbol is a catalyst to community empowerment, local ownership and to why love.fútbol soccer fields are “mas que una cancha.”
MHI is proud to support love.fútbol in partning with impoverished communities to build simple, safe soccer fields for youth.
2009
The Face of Change 2009
January 16, 2009. Darlington House in Washington, D.C. was the venue for the soiree The Face of Change to Benefit the Many Hats Institute.
The soiree coincided with the opening art exhibit at Darlington House of Washington photographer Thorne Sirbak’s inspired images documenting how D.C. took American artist Shepard Fairey’s iconic “Hope” image of then President-Elect Barack Obama and made it its own.
These large-format photographs, printed by Adamson Editions, capture the historic moment in the city’s history.
Latin American Youth Center 2009
June 25, 2009. Darlington House in Washington, D.C. was the venue for an evening with the Many Hats Institute to benefit Latin American Youth.
Essa Trunk Show 2009
November 7, 2009. The Essa Trunk Show to benefit the Many Hats Institute was hosted by Hela Spa and ted Gibson Salon, with the Trunk Show After Party taking place at Peacock Cafe in Georgetown.
A Holiday Gathering With the Many Hats Institute 2009
December 15, 2009. A Holiday Gathering with the Many Hats Institute benefiting Ashoka’s Youth Venture DC took place at the restored North Hall of Eastern Market. The evening featured a silent auction among other activities.
2008
Fashion and Futbol 2008
April 30, 2008. The Many Hats Institute held a fundraiser at L2 Lounge to help support ongoing programs and events.
Computers + Technology For DC Youth 2008
June 17, 2008. The Many Hats Institute held an event at the Grooming Lounge to raise funds for computers and other technology to benefit D.C. youth.
An Evening With The Many Hats Institute 2008
December 12, 2008. The Many Hats Institute presented an evening featuring the work of artists Mina Karimi and Thorne Sirbak to help support ongoing programs and events.
2007
Opening of New Oyamel to Benefit MHI and Other Charities 2007
February 12, 13, and 14, 2007. José Andrés, Rob Wilder, and ThinkFoodGroup Partners celebrated the opening of the new Oyamel by offering three special evenings charities like the Many Hats Institute and others.
2006
The 2006 Argentine Polo Club
September 16, 2006. The Many Hats Institute teamed up with the Capitol Polo Club for an afternoon of polo, Argentine wine, and Tango for a Taste of Argentine to benefit children’s charities in Argentina.
2005
Pop Art 'Pieces of Polo' 2005
2005. As part of the Art Circle for the Many Hats, Summerhill Polo and MHI teamed up to create the Many Hats “POP ART” Pieces of Polo canvas. Guests were invited to think about the age-old question “What is art?”
Ambassadors Cup 2005
2005. The Many Hats Institute helped raise $10,000 for UNICEF through the Ambassadors Cup.
2004
The Second Annual Hats of Excellence 2004
November 18, 2004. The Second Annual Hats of Excellence celebration to benefit MHI took place at the historic Georgetown Club.
A Benefit for The Foundation for the Children of Iran 2004
June 17, 2004. The Many Hats Institute organized the Benefit for The Foundation for the Children of Iran held at Sesto Senso Restaurant, featuring celebrity DJs, raffle items, and a silent auction.
2003
Fun Before The Run 2003
May 2, 2003. The Many Hats Institute, in conjunction with Mark’s Azalea Run, and DC One Magazine, held Fun Before The Run to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and The Mark Ferris Scholarship Fund.
The First Annual Hats of Excellence 2003
September 24, 2003. The First Annual Hats of Excellence celebration to benefit MHI took place at the Madison Hotel and honored the following individuals:
• Mario Cader-Fresh, Minister of Cultural Affairs, Embassy of El Salvador
• Tatiana S. Gau, Chief Trust Officer & Senior Vice President, America Online
• Gally Andrea Mayer, Chairman of the Board, The Tepeyac Organization
• Jose Antonio Tijerino, President and CEO, Hispanic Heritage Awards Foundation
